Today’s obscure Rare Ride is from perhaps the most courageous car company in existence today: Mitsuoka. This two-seater combines the zesty performance of a modern Japanese roadster with Sixties American Corvette styling.
Hazard a guess what it is underneath?
A small, independent car firm created in 1996, Mitsuoka has always gone in its own styling direction. Most often the company put a new body on an existing Japanese car. They’ve made a formal Rolls-Royce-looking sedan based on a Corolla and turned a RAV4 turned into a vintage American SUV. Here in Mitsuoka’s own words is the backstory of the Rock Star:
“Even when people looked down on me, I believed in my dreams. But truth is I was scared. I pretended to be alright. Truth is I was eager for love, I wanted you to see. In a town that shines under the rain, Your eyes lead me. You told me ‘Just fly freely’. I can fly! Now I can fly. I can do it! Now I am free.”
Interpret that paragraph as you will as we move on to facts. The Rock Star was a very limited production model from Mitsuoka, which saw a C2 Corvette-themed body applied to a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Swoops, gills, and chrome appeared out of thin air. A long front end held integrated headlamps, as flip-up lamps were no longer compliant with safety regulation. At the back, the rear end was recognizable to anyone who’s seen a vintage Corvette with its signature circular brake lamps. Five-spoke chrome wheels set off the look and give the ride suitable Boomer energy.
There were no changes made to the Miata in terms of mechanicals: The Rock Star had the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder good for 132 horsepower as found in all Japanese market Miatas. Buyers could opt for manual or automatic transmissions. Changes inside were much more limited than the exterior and included a Mitsuoka-designed horn pad, and color-matched Mitsuoka stitching in the seats.
Mitsuoka revealed its new Rock Star in the fall of 2018, with a production cap of 50 examples. A shocking 30 paint colors were on offer – a number seemingly out of reach for larger manufacturers these days. Unsurprisingly, all examples were snapped up within four months, before the Rock Star ever entered production. The ask new was $41,700.
Fast forward a couple of years and today’s Rock Star is available with 225 kilometers on the clock, in Los Angeles blue. Rarity has already added a premium onto the roadster, and the current ask is $69,700.
[Images: Mitsuoka]
It was only 2019 that VWoA offered 40 colors on a limited run of 500 Golf Rs in the US. The resale on those Spektrum Golf Rs used are crazy too, basically MSRP.
Hey brother.
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The ’73 Opel looks more like the same year 240Z than the ‘vette.
You can go with that, but I don’t think you’d win Family Feud with that answer.
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About the only thing I see that follows the Datsun closer is the roofline. The body lines, trim details, and even proportions look closer to the C3.
Opel GT was a neat car, but not all that well built.
What’s the point? RR based on Corolla? Corvette with 1.5L engine? My Lada had 1.5L engine, developed by Porsche BTW. You cannot make this stuff up.
It’s a toy for those wanting something different. Probably a little more reliable than your average Lada as a bonus.
Hey, never get between a comrade and his Lada
Ladas before nadas.
I’m sure it’s far more reliable than a Lada, I for one really like its appearance.
Years ago, I dated a woman named Zesty. Turns out she was a stripper. Needless to say that one didn’t last!
Never dip your pen in a stripper’s ink well.
Now you tell me.
Or you will need to get the glass rod.
I love that things like this can still exist in this day and age.
Sure it’s frivolous, and the proportions can be a bit odd (especially for that Rolls thing), but all in all, the Corvette and Blazer kits are well done for their intended purpose- to bring a vintage tribute to a modern, otherwise common vehicle.
As someone who grew up seeing Cobra kit cars and every other monstrosity that could be glued or screwed to a VW or Fiero chassis, it’s neat to see that spirit still alive to enjoy the better vehicles of today with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
Well done.
And rest assured, these Corvette models, and likely to a lesser extent, the Blazer, WILL be collectors items due to their decent execution and limited production run.
The Japanese market MX-5 is a THREE cylinder engine, not four. Has been since the latest model came out. Baruth tested one and it was fine, much zingier than the 155hp version we got here, until Mazda put in the mods on the four from the three to get 181 hp.
The looks? Meh.
The Japanese model is indeed 1.5L, but it has four cylinders, not three. Both bore and stroke are shrunk from the 2.0L we get here, and the shorter stroke makes it revvier.
I’ve seen pictures of a 65 Mustang kit for a Miata. But I think you have to be a Shriner to own one.
A Shriner? Are there still Shriners? Don’t they dress up as clowns and ride mini-bikes?
Most Shriners are too old and susceptible to hip breakage to ride a mini bike. But they do drive miniature cars in parades that look like oversized golf carts.
You’ve never seen a Shriner. Google at your fingertips.
Pretty cool. I like it.
Interesting find. I appreciate that it is unique and can appreciate its appeal in that respect, but sort of lost me at 1.5L engine. $69K buys a lot of interesting cars that are probably a bit more fun.
I think over there these probably had a very particular “I like American things” customer for which a high price was not an issue.
Like the 2003 Thunderbird or an SSR here.
While you’re at the Mitsuoka dealer, check out the “Buddy,” an SUV that looks like a shrunken Cadillac SRX with a 1980s Suburban front, apparently on a Toyota RAV4 chassis.